Kings snap five-game losing streak with rout of Hawks

Brad Miller scored a season-high 19 points to lead six players
in double figures as the Kings coasted to a 117-92 victory over
the sloppy Atlanta Hawks.

Corliss Williamson scored 18 points and Mike Bibby added 16 for
Sacramento, which had not won this month and had not scored more
than 115 points all season. But the Kings dominated the middle
two quarters, scoring 70 points over the second and third
periods and finishing at a blistering 57 percent (43-of-75)
shooting.

"We needed a win," Sacramento coach Eric Musselman said. "I
thought we did a lot of really good things tonight. I thought
we defended well. As the game wore on, the second and third
quarters, I thought offensively we probably played the two best
quarters all year."

John Salmons and Kevin Martin chipped in 14 points apiece for
Sacramento, which did a nice job of sharing the ball. The team
had 25 assists, including eight players with at least three.

"That's when we're at our best, (when everyone is involved),"
Miller said. "(Losing) five games really (stinks). All day I
was like, 'I just can't wait to come out and destroy these
guys.'"

The Kings held a 53-40 lead at halftime before outscoring the
Hawks, 39-20, in the third quarter. Bibby poured in 11 points
in the quarter, while Miller had nine and Martin eight.

Salim Stoudamire scored a season-high 26 points and rookie
Solomon Jones added a career-high 14 for Atlanta, which
committed 25 turnovers in finishing its road trip with a 2-3
record.

"Our plan of coming out and playing defense, we didn't do that
at all," said Hawks forward Marvin Williams, who shot 1-of-8
from the field and was ejected after receiving consecutive
technical fouls in the fourth quarter. "They almost scored 120
points. ... We needed better defense. Everybody in this locker
room is better than that. It was terrible."

The Hawks played without leading scorer Joe Johnson, who
suffered a calf injury earlier this week. They have lost seven
straight meetings with the Kings.

"We should all give our paychecks back," Atlanta coach Mike
Woodson said. "It's unacceptable. Nobody came to play today at
all. ... Not having Joe kind of set the tone. We just weren't
ready to play."